Refrigerator



A. -E.- NAVE Aug. 26, 1941.

REFRIGERIAOR Filed NOV. 19, 1937 Patented Aug. 26, 1941 UNITED STATE REFRIGERATOR Alfred E. Nave,

Inc., New York, N. Y.,

ware

Evansville, Ind., assignor to Servel,

a corporation of Dela- Application'November 19, 1937, Serial No. 175,514

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigeration apparatus broadly, and is particularly concerned with an improved type of adjustable shelving for use in the food compartments of refrigerator cabinets.

An object of the invention is to provide a shelf which'may be readily adjusted to a plurality of vertical positions within the food compartment of a refrigerator cabinet, and which is also slidably mounted for convenient withdrawal of the shelf either partially or completely from the said compartment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shelf of the type specified which may be adjusted with a minimum of manual efiort to a plurality of vertical positions without requiring tilting of the shelf, so that the shelf may be adjusted either while loaded or unloaded.

Another object is to provide an adjustable shelf for refrigerator cabinets which is ruggedly supported in the cabinet and well braced against maximum load conditions andwhich at the same time may be adjusted with comparative ease when desired.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages will become apparent in view of the following description taken in conjunction with the drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of the upper portion of a refrigerator cabinet showing a series of shelves mounted therein embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view in elevation of one of the supporting brackets or units;

Figs. 3 and 4 are views in elevation of the complete shelf assembly, the shelf being shown in adjusted position in Fig. 3 and raised ready for adjustment in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the supporting brackets or units.

Referring to the drawing in detail, a refrigerator cabinet is generally indicated at C and has therein a food compartment 5 which is bounded by a liner 6.

The improved shelf assembly is supported in a similar manner on opposite sides of the food compartment by bracket assemblies each comprising interengaging bracket members I and 8, shown as of channel shape in cross section, which may be formed as a casting, molding,- sheet metal stamping or the like and may be made of any material suitable for the purpose. The bracket member I is stationary and is anchored to the liner or side wall of the food comparinnent 5, and the bracket member 8 is movable and has its their opposite ends turned inwardly, to provide pivots or trunnions 13 which engage in bearing holes formed in the opposite side walls of the bracket 1. The oppositely positioned brackets 8 are each formed with a plurality of indentations or notches II in which the shelf, or outer frame l5 thereof, is adapted to engage.

The manner in which the improved shelf may be adjusted within the cabinet will be apparent from the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the drawing. Since the links H and I2 are prevented from lowering or turning in an arc downwardly beyond the horizontal plane of the shelf t5, the latter need only be raised upwardly, carrying either one or both of the sliding brackets 8 therewith (depending upon whether or not the shelf is tilted or in a horizontal plane when raised), permitting the shelf to clear the notches l4. Thus, the shelf may be adjusted either by tilting as indicated in'Fig. 4, or it may be raised upwardly while in a horizontal plane, in which latter event the brackets 8 on oppos te sides of the shelf will be raised simultaneously. Should it be desired to withdraw the shelf either partially or fully from the cabinet, it is only necessary to draw it forvivardly in the guldeways provided by the notches With this type of shelf, the engaging action on opposite sides of the frame is firm and sure and there is no danger whatsover of the shelf dropping or creeping below its adjusted position.

It will be understood that certain changes'in construction and design of the improved shelf assembly may be adopted without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Shelving for the food compartment of a refrigerator cabinet comprising a shelf, shelf supporting bracket units positioned adjacent opposed side walls of said compartment, each of said units comprising a stationary guide member anchored to its adjacent side wall and formed with a trackway, a vertically movable shelf supporting bracket mounted in said trackway, links connecting said brackets for limited arcuate movement of said movable bracket, said movable bracket being formed with notches or indentations for releasable engaging the shelf.

2. Shelving for the food compartment of a re-' bracket with the stationary bracket, said movable bracket being formed with notches or indentations for releasably engaging said shelf.

3. Means for supporting a shelf from the walls of a cabinet comprising means providing a guideway, a shelf engaging member movable in said guideway, link means connecting said guideway and said movable member in such a manner that as the movable member is raised it is caused by the action of said connecting means to move toward the wall of the cabinet away from the shelf whereby the shelf is released. a

4. Shelf supporting structure comprising a base member, a shelf engaging member, and link means connecting the base and-shelf engaging members and being swingable from a horizontal to a substantially vertical position thereby moving from a fixed location in aposition to support a shelf upwardly and away "from the vertical line of the fixed position out of engagement with the shelf.

5. Structure of the character described for supporting a shelf in the. compartment of a refrigerator or the like and wherein movement of the shelf against the action of gravity causes disengagement of the shelf from its supporting connecting the shelf engaging member and the wall so that the shelf engaging member will move toward the wall away from the shelf when elevated.

7. A device for releasably supporting an end of a removabie'shelf in a compartment, said device comprising; a shelf engaging member, a support for said member, and means movablyconnecting.

said member to said support in a manner to cause said member to move upwardly and inwardly to;- ward said support and away from said shelf when said shelf is elevated. 1

ALFRED E. NAVE. 

